Here’s the situation: The Braves trailed by 6-3 with two on and one out. Simmons hit a two-strike pitch from Mitchell Boggs into shallow left field. It should have been a relatively easy catch for left fielder Matt Holliday, but he gave way to shortstop Pete Kozma, who appeared to be calling for the ball. But Kozma suddenly veered off, and the ball fell to the turf.

The crowd exploded, thinking the Braves had the bases loaded in a win-or-go-home game. But when Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez came charging out of the dugout and began arguing vehemently with the umpires, something seemed wrong. And when Simmons was told to head from his spot at first to the dugout, the fans erupted.

That’s when debris began raining down on the field.

The winner of Friday's game will face the Washington Nationals in the first game of a best-of-5 NL Division Series, which starts Sunday.